**Russian President Refuses to Compromise in Peace Talks**
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to make any concessions in peace talks, making it harder for US President Donald Trump to secure a deal. This is according to Western security officials who were quoted by Bloomberg on March 10.
Putin has made several demands that are likely to be unacceptable to Ukraine and European countries. He wants Ukraine to withdraw from four partially occupied regions – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia – as a precondition for negotiations. This is not the first time Putin has made such demands, but they have been rejected by Ukraine in the past.
**Trump’s Efforts Complicated**
Despite Trump’s claims that Putin would allow European peacekeepers to be deployed in Ukraine as part of a deal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has rejected this idea. This has raised doubts about Putin’s seriousness regarding a settlement.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Bloomberg that Russia remains open to diplomatic negotiations and prefers to reach its goals through peaceful means. However, Western officials believe that Putin is prepared to continue the war if his conditions are not met.
**Talks Stall**
Trump’s efforts to secure a deal were derailed after his confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House on February 28. Trump then halted US military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which has put pressure on Kyiv to negotiate.
Ukrainian and US delegations are meeting in Jeddah on March 11 for key discussions that could shape Washington‘s future support for Kyiv. Ukrainian officials are expected to push for the resumption of US military aid and intelligence sharing while proposing a ceasefire in the air and at sea as a potential first step toward a peace agreement.
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